My daughter likes raw food. She did not learn this from me. It comes from inside her; it must be part of her A-ish-ness. When she was a preschooler, just 3 or 4 years old, and we would go to a restaurant, she never wanted a kid's meal. I smile when I remember her little voice telling a server, "I want a side salad, please."

She does not like cooked vegetables. She eats cooked green beans and cooked corn, but those are not really vegetables. Green beans are legumes, and corn is a grain. She likes salad a lot. She likes carrots, radishes, cucumbers and celery dipped in peanut butter or a sauce.

However, we have had conflict over the years about broccoli. My husband and I like it steamed. Both of us like the bushy green tops. My daughter almost refuses to eat cooked broccoli. In addition, she does not like the bushy tops; she likes the stems. It further complicates the problem that she now has braces on her teeth so it is hard for her to eat the stems.

To solve the conflict, I make broccoli sticks. I take the hard stems and peel off the outer layer. Then I slice the soft inner stem into sticks similar to carrot sticks. She will eat a lot of broccoli sticks dipped in peanut butter. Both of us are happy - me, because she is eating an important vegetable beneficial to As. She, because she is eating her broccoli raw.

As I sliced broccoli sticks last night I thought about parents of young children who like finger food. Broccoli sticks are firm enough so they don't turn to mush when you pick them up. But they are softer and easier to eat than carrot sticks or radishes. Perhaps they would be a good choice if you have a little A who likes raw food.

This entry was posted on January 26th, 2005 at 04:21:00 pm and is filed under Earlier Blogs.